Refrigerator car door



' 8, 1933- ,J. F. O'CONNOR 1,921,573

REFRIGERATOR CAR DOOR Filed 001:. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l By W 1933- J. F. OCONNOR REFRIGERATOR CAR DOQR Filed Oct. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,921,578 REFRIGERATOR CAR noon John F. OConnor, Chicago, 111., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a Corporation of Delaware Application October 8, 1931. Serial No. 567,609

7 Claims. (Cl. 20-23) This invention'relates to improvements in re frigerator car doors. i

'One object of the invention is to provide a door construction for refrigerator cars comprising a single "sliding door member for closing the door opening of the car, wherein simple and efiicient means is provided for forcing the door tightly into the door opening and also disengaging the door from said opening, including a single rotary operating member mounted on the door and cooperating with bearing means slideable on tracks mounted above and belowthe door opening, the operating means also serving to support the door slideably on the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with a door operating mechanism of the character specified in the preceding paragraph means for at all times maintaining the door parallel to the wall of the car.

'20 A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a refrigerator car a single sliding door forclosing the door opening of the car, wherein the sliding door is carried by a vertical 1y disposed rotary operating member having crank 2 arms at the top and bottom ends thereof having the crank pin members thereof journaled in brackets slideable on guide rails or tracks disposed above and below the door opening; and wherein means is also provided for holding the door parallel to the car wall, the said means being in the form of a U-shaped guide link swiveled to the door and having the free ends of'the arms thereof guided by one'of said tracks or rails. l

' In the drawings, forming apart of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevational view of the side wall of a refrigerator car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View, on an enlarged scale, corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1, said view being broken in order to to the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

In said drawings, 10 indicates the side wall of the'car, which sidewall is provided with the usual door opening 11, closed by a single door 12. 5 In carrying out my invention, I provide broadly top and bottom tracks or rails A and B; arotary supporting and operating crank bar C journaled on the door in brackets DD-D; upper and lower guide and journal brackets E and F; an actuating lever G; a U-shaped guidelink H; and a pair of journal brackets KK for the guide link. i g

The guide track A, which is disposed above the door opening, extends a sufficient distance to the right of the door opening toaccommodate the door 12 for sliding movement so as to entirely clear the door opening 11. The track A also extends slightly beyond the left-hand end wall of the door opening, as clearly shown in Figure, 1.

The lower guide rail or track B, extends to the right of the dooriopening adistance less than the rail or track A. As shown in Figure 1, the track or rail B extends such a distance to the left as to have theend disposed beyond the vertical center of thedoor opening. Both rails A and B are of the same design, each having a plate like section 13, which is bolted to the side wall of the car, and a horizontally extending portion 14 terminating in a right angular section 15, which section forms the guide rail proper. As shown in Figures land 2, the rail sections 15-15 of the two tracks project toward each other, that is, the rail of the upper track projects downwardly, while the rail of the lower track projects upwardly.

The operating member'C comprises a vertically disposed rotary bar of substantially cylindrical cross-section having crank arms 16'-16 at the top and bottom ends thereof.. The. bar

'upper bearing member D, the bar C is provided with collars 1919 above and below said bearingin embracing relation thereto. These collars hold the bar against vertical displacement with respect tothe door. Adjacent to the central and lowermost bearings 'DD, the bar C is also provided with collars 19l9; which engage the bottom portions of said-bearings respectively. As will be evident, the four collars 19 19,

which cooperate with the three bearing brackets D-D'D,v support the door 12 on the bar C. The upper crank member 16 has a cylindrical bearing :element or boss 20 at the outer end of the rail 15.

ly through the member 21 at right angles to the slot 22. The bearing pin 24 is journaled in supporting sleeves 25--25, which are fixed within the member 21. As most clearly shown in Figure 2, the outer ends of the sleeves 25-25. and the opposite ends of the pin '24 are rounded.

for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The guide brackets E and F are respectively slidable on the tracks or rails A and B. The bracket E, which cooperates with the upper guide rail A, comprises a cuplike portion 26 having a cylindrical bearing seat 27 in which the member 20 of the upper crank arm 16 is journaled. The upper portion of the bracket 13' is slotted, as indicated at 127,-to receive the rail 15 of the upper track A. As will be evident, the bracket E is thus slideable lengthwise of the rail 15 of the track A, while the crank arm 16 is swingable about the portion 20 thereof, which is journaled in the bracket E.

The bracket F comprises an upper socketlike portion 28 and a bottom extension 29. The extension 29 is slotted, as indicated at 30, to accommodate the rail 15 of the track 13. The slot 30 opens through the bottom of the socket of the bracket F, thereby exposing the upper edge As most clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4, the bottom portion of the Wall of the socket of the bracket F is substantially spherical, and the side walls of said socket are lined with a bushing member 31, the inner surface of which forms a continuation of the spherical bottom surface of thesocket. The socket is of circular, horizontal cross-section at all points and forms swiveling bearing means for the lower crank member 16 of the actuating bar C. The roller 23 is of such a diameter and the bearing pin 24 is of such a length that the periphery of the roller and the opposite ends of the bearing pin have bearing relation with the walls of the socket of the bracket? to provide for the swiveling movement of the crank arm 16 at the lower'end of the bar C. "The roller 23 normally rides on the rail 15 of the track 13, as clearly "shown in Figures 2 and 4, thereby supporting horizontal-section and journaled in the bearing brackets K-'-K, which are secured to the door 12 adjacent to the opposite side edges thereof. At the upper end, each arm 33 is provided with a right angular section 36 terminating in a yokelike portion 37 having spaced side walls between which a grooved guide roller 38 is disposed. The roller 38 is journaled on a bearing pin 39 extending through the side walls of the member 37, as clearly shown inFigure 3. The link H is thus guided by'the track A and restricted to longitudinal movement thereof but mayswingoutwardly on said-track. inasmuch as the horizontal section of the Ushaped guide linkH is journaled at opposite side edges of the door 12, the latter will at all times be held in parallel position with respect to the car wall, regardless of inward and outward displacement of the door with respect to the car. The guide link H thus serves the purpose of preventing accidental rotation of the door 12 about the axis of the operating bar C.

The actuating lever G is provided withan outwardly oITset handle section 40 at the outer end thereof and has a horizontally disposed journal portion 41 at the inner end, which extends through the flattened portion 42 of the bar C. The lever G is fixed by means of a washer 43 of disclike form, which is held in postion by the outer end of the bearing section 41 of the lever G being upset, as indicated at 44. As clearly shown in Figure 5, the door is cut away, as indicated at 45, to provide a seat .to accommodate the enlarged section formed by the connection between the bar C and the operating handle lever G. In actuating the door to force the same either inwardly or outwardly of the opening 11, the operating bar is rotated through an angle of 130 by means of the handle lever G. In order to permit the 180 movement, the handle, when swung from one side of-the bar C to the other, is rotated about the horizontal bearing thereof. so that movement of the handle will not be interfered with by engagement with the outer surface of the door. The operating handle G is latched by the usual locking member 46 and sealed in the usual manner. 7

In opening the door 12, the handle .G is unlatched and swung outwardly and toward the right, viewed in Figure 1, thereby rotating the actuating bar 5; andcswinging the same to the dotted line position shown in Figure ,2. Th door will thus be swung outwardly to the dotted line position shown in said figure, entirely clear of the side wall oi the car. During this outward movement ofthe door 12, the guide link H holds the same in substantial parallelism to the side wall of thecar, the necessary swinging movement being permitted by rocking of the rollers 38?38 at the upper ends of the arms 33-33of the link H on the rail 15 of the upper guide track A andswiveling movement of the bearing portions 3535 in the journal brackets The door is then slid to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, being supported on the lower track 15 by means of the roller 23 which rides on this track. The upper end of the actuating bar C is guided on the track A during this movement. As will beevident, when the door is in the fully opened position shown in dotted lines, in Figure 2, the guide roller 23 will be in alignment with the rail 15 of the track B.

In closing the door, the operation is the reverse of that just described, the door being slid to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 immediately in front of the door opening 11 :With the door in alignment with 'the door opening, the operating bar C is rotated by the operating lever G in a direction reverse to that hereinbefore described, thereby moving the door inwardly to the full line position shown in Fi ure After being forced tightly into the door op.ening,. the operating lever G is locked and sealed inthe usual manner.

. I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the sameis merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: a 1. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided with a door opena ing, the combination with a single door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said wall member above and below said door opening; a bracket slidably guided on each track; a vertically disposed operating bar journaled on said door; crank arms at the top and bottom ends of said bar; means at the outer end of the lower crank arm journaled in the bracket of the lower guide track, said means including a roller journaled on the outer end of said arm having rolling engagement with said lower guide track; and a cylindrical crank pin member at the outer end of the upper crank arm journaled in the bracket of the upper guide track,

2. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a single door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said wall member above and below said door opening; a bracket slideably guided on each track; a vertically disposed operating bar journaled on said door; crank arms at the top and bottom ends of said bar; means at the outer end of the lower crank arm journaled in the bracket of the lower guide track, said means including a roller on said arm rotatable about a horizontal axis and engaging said lower guide track; and a cylindrical crank pin member at the outer end of the upper crank arm journaled in the bracket of the upper guide track.

3. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a single door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on' said member above and below said door opening; a vertically disposed operating bar journaled on the door, said, bar having crank arms at the top and bottom ends thereof; a bracket slideably guided on said upper track; a bearing projection at the outer end of said top crank arm journaled in said bracket; a second bracket slideably guided on said lower track, said second named bracket having a socket portion provided with an operiing in the bottom thereof exposing said lower track;

, and a supporting roller on said lower crank arm swiveled in said socket and riding on said lower track.

4. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a single door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said member above and below said door opening; a vertically disposed operating bar j ournaled on the door, said bar having crank arms at the top and bottom ends thereof; a bracket slideably guided on said upper track; a bearing projection at the outer end of said top crank arm journaled insaid bracket; a second bracket having a bearing socket therein, said bracket being slotted to slidingly engage said lower track; a projection at the outer end of said lower crank arm; a roller on said projection; and a bearing pin for said roller, said pin being horizontally disposed and extending through said projection, the opposite ends of said pin and the periphery of said roller having bearing engagement with the walls of said socket for swiveling said lower crank arm in said bracket.

5. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided witha door opening, the combination with a single door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said member above and below said door opening; 'a'

vertically disposed operating bar journaled on the door, said bar having crank arms at the top and'bottom ends thereof; a bracket slideably I guided on said upper track; a bearing projection at the outer end of said top crank arm journaled in said bracket; a second bracket having a bear-, ing socket therein, said bracket being slotted to slidingly receive the lower track and said slot opening through the bottom of the socket to expose said track; and a roller on the outer end of said lower crank arm, said roller being supported by a horizontally'disposed bearing pin fixed to said crank arm, said roller riding on the opening; of a vertically disposed rotary operating bar having crank means at the upper and lower ends thereof cooperating with means mounted on the wall member of the car for forcing said door inwardly and outwardly; and an actuating lever connected to said bar for rotating the same, said lever having a journaled connection with the bar to provide for rotation of said actuating lever about a horizontal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

7. In door construction for refrigerator cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a door for closing said opening; of an operating bar rotatable about a mounted on the wall member of the car for forcing said door inwardly and outwardly; and a horizontally disposed operating lever for rotating said bar about its vertical axis, said lever being journaled on said bar for rotation about a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

JOHN F. OCQNNOR,

vertical axis having crank means at the upper and 1 lower ends thereof cooperating with means 

